5 Ways to Stay Safe When Shooting a Firearm

Too many people accidentally get injured or even worse when others are not safe with their firearms. There are many reasons to always be thinking about firearm safety, five of which can help you and others have a good experience with guns, rather than end up in an unfortunate situation.

First, the most important safety rule for any shooter—and even those loading or carrying a firearm—is to never aim it at anything or anyone you don’t want to shoot. Sadly, many people have “just been kidding around” when they’ve accidentally shot a person they didn’t intend to shoot.

Next, in relation to the first rule comes the second, related one: only shoot when you are certain of where your shot will go and what, if anything, is behind or beyond the target. What looks like an animal could easily be your buddy, or even just a hiker in the woods. It’s also important that your bullet ends up stopped by something like a mound of dirt or a tree so it doesn’t end up going into unchartered territory and accidentally hurting someone or something. Bullets travel far.

Besides protecting others from harm, you have to keep your own safety in mind.

Make sure you clean your gun on a regular basis and remove debris from it. You don’t want the firearm bursting on you because the bullet got trapped due to dirt or other material clogs. You want to keep your hands (and arms, etc.) safe from harm.

In addition, make sure you wear an orange vest or jacket while shooting or hunting in the woods, to ensure other shooters or hunters can spot you.

Finally, gunshots are loud. Not just a little loud—they’re really, really loud, to the point where they can damage your hearing. Don’t let shooting guns make you deaf. Also, don’t think of just yourself; communicate with your group so everyone knows that a shot could be coming, and they can plan accordingly by having their protection in place. Adversely affecting your friend’s hearing will feel nearly as worse as affecting your own.